All upcoming Philosophy & Religion programs

From ancient times to the present scientists and philosophers have marveled at how such a seemingly abstract discipline as mathematics, which appears to have been a product of human thought, could so perfectly explain the natural world. In a fascinating presentation, astrophysicist Mario Livio explores why mathematics is a powerful lens through which to examine the cosmos.

The recent canonization of Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 at age 15, demonstrates that the desire to venerate holy people is undimmed in the contemporary Catholic Church, says historian Kate E. Bush. She explores how saints have been made through the centuries, detailing how Catholicism moved from accepting saints by popular acclamation to papal canonization. Even today, though, the devotion of everyday people is the main ingredient needed to make a saint, Bush argues.

The picture-perfect snowcapped cone of Mount Fuji has attracted Japanese artists and pilgrims for more than a thousand years. Historian Justin M. Jacobs examines the history of human influences on this dormant volcano and its dynamic—and symbolic—role in Japanese history, including the elaborate network of Shinto and Buddhist shrines that that have drawn countless pilgrims from far away.

Cappadocia in central Türkiye is best known for its surreal landscapes of sculpted tuff, fairy chimneys, and ancient underground cities. But Cappadocia is more than just a natural marvel. Its valleys and rock-cut dwellings reveal a rich tapestry of history, from Hittite strongholds and Persian satrapies to Roman and Byzantine settlements to cave churches. Turkish tour guide Serif Yenen brings Cappadocia to life by weaving together its natural beauty, historical depth, and religious significance.

Islamic art and architecture are both distinctive and varied. Art historian Sean Roberts provides an overview of the historical and societal contexts in which this tradition developed. The narrative covers 14 centuries and spans from the central Islamic lands across the globe. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

The horn is one of the first instruments to appear in the texts of the Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—and as each faith has forged its place in the American experience, each has announced itself in its own way with the horn. Featuring the music of brass bands, the sounding of the shofar, and more, this program explores how American spiritual communities use the horn today to celebrate their faith in harmony.

Joseph Luzzi, professor of literature at Bard College, explores the literary elements of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and then considers its afterlife in two major literary works: John Milton’s brilliant epic, Paradise Lost, and John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, a modern-day classic. Luzzi explains the rhetorical structures of the Bible and provides a sense of how its brilliant storytelling techniques shaped the development of modern literature.

Throughout the Middle Ages, Jews lived in various diaspora communities, in foreign lands under both Muslim and Christian rule. Biblical scholar and historian Gary A. Rendsburg explores such communities in Egypt, Italy, England, and Spain. At times, Jews flourished in these foreign lands, though at other times anti-Jewish fervor resulted in massacres, expulsions, and ghettoization. In a full-day seminar, Rendsburg surveys the highs and the lows in his examination of Jewish life in the medieval era.

The study of iconography reveals how symbols and allegories help decode artworks that long puzzled scholars. Art historian Noah Charney examines how medieval viewers recognized saints in paintings despite widespread illiteracy. By identifying attributes tied to martyrdoms, such as Saint Lucy’s eyes on a platter or Saint Peter’s inverted cross, viewers understood each figure’s identity and meaning. Using Crivelli’s Demidoff Altarpiece, Charney shows how to read religious images like clues in a visual investigation. (World Art History Certificate elective,1/2 credit)

Fairy lore was once far broader and stranger than the 19th-century image of tiny winged beings. Historian and folklorist Francis Young traces how European cultures imagined fairies as powerful, human-like supernatural entities—from Irish aos sí to Scandinavian elves and Balkan vilas. He illustrates how these beliefs adapted to Christianity, thrived through the Middle Ages, and survived major cultural shifts, including the Reformation and Enlightenment. Young also highlights how colonial expansion globalized the idea of fairies and how enduring beliefs in fairies influence contemporary culture.